Supernova Nationals Runners and Riders

Peter Mackin ahead of the Supernova Nationals © Caz Hand

With the first race of the Supernova Nationals getting ever closer, It's time to take a look at the runners and riders who will be fighting it out for the top spot.

Cliff Milliner - Cotswold
2015 result: 1st
Best nationals result: 1st (2011,2013,2015)
Cliff has been at the top of the class for many years and last year won his 3rd national title in the Supernova class. As one of the lightest and smoothest sailors in the class, Light/ medium winds have always seemed to suit Cliff although his strong wind speed has improved as was clear at last year nationals. Also being the technical guru for the class, he knows a thing or two about rig settings.

Mike Gibson - Bartley
2015 result: 2nd
Best nationals result: 1st (2008) Widely regarded as the most consistent sailor in the class, Mike always seems to be at the front or very near it. He came very close to winning the nationals last year and then went on to win the inlands after a weekend of shifty conditions. Fast in all conditions, Mr consistent is obviously one to watch in Llandudno.

Tim Hand - Sutton-In-Ashfield 2015 result: 3rd Best nationals result: 3rd (2015)
Tim is fast in all conditions but probably more so when its lights and shifty. As a relative newcomer to the class, Tim has quickly got himself up to the front of the fleet and is right there at all events. A 3rd at last years nationals showed a clear sign of consistency in the tricky conditions so it's going to be interesting to see what he can do in Llandudno.

Iain Horlock - Exe
2015 result: 4th
Best nationals result: 4th (2015)
As the tallest competitor in the class (he makes mere 6ft people look 4ft nothing), Iain is hard to keep up with on those heavy wind days while also having good speed in the light stuff. As a regular sailor on the sea at Exe, Ian probably has more experience and sea time than any other competitor. Still a relative newcomer, he's one to watch.

Gavin Young - Cotswold
2015 result: 5th
Best nationals result: 2nd (lets say more than once?)
Gav has definitely proved he has the speed on more than one occasion, being far too fast to keep with at times. He has finished 2nd at the nationals a few times and is always right up there fighting it out. Gav seems to go fast in any conditions which makes the job a lot harder for the rest of the top guys. Can the bridesmaid of the class finally get the top prize? theres a good chance.

Tony Critchley - Bolton
2015 result: 6th
Best nationals result: 3rd (2007)
As one of the older guys towards the front of the fleet (Sorry Tony), you may think Tony is starting to wind down but you'd be massively mistaken. A very fast sailor especially in strong winds and light/shifty conditions, Tony has shown he can win races at the nationals and has proven race pace on the sea. Tony also brings some hardcore sailing to the fleet as well, putting the mainsheet in his teeth after a gybe.....impressive yet frightening.

Richard Pakes - Haversham
2015 result: 7th
Best nationals result: 1st (2010)
When the wind is strong, you can be sure that Richard is either leading the race or fighting for the lead. With his signature raked back mast with the boom nearly on the deck and his sail number (666) it's fair to say that he's a bit of a speed demon. A nationals winner in 2010 in the newly launched mark 2's, Richard is always one to keep an eye on.

Iain Wilson - Llangorse
2015 result: 8th
Best nationals result: 8th (2015)
We knew he fast in a Mark 1, then he got himself a fancy new Expoxy boat and he showed us his true pace. As a big guy and one of the heaviest in the class (in a good way) strong winds are where Iain sails away. A race winner from last years nationals, Iain obviously has the skill and potential to win.

Alex Collins - Bolton
2015 result: 9th
Best nationals result: 3rd (2014)
Being towards the heavier end of the weight range with a heavy wind rake setting which has the boom pretty much touching the deck, big wind and big waves are the conditions that Alex likes to see on race days. Bouncing back from a difficult 2015 nationals and a 'very nearly' situation at the 2015 inlands, Alex will be fighting hard to get near or better his 3rd place result from 2014 again.

Andy Flitcroft - Bolton
2015 result: 10th
Best nationals result: 3rd (2005)
A long time Supernova sailor, Andy is a consistent top 10 finisher who on more than a few occasions has had top 5 or top 3 results. Andy is clearly a quick sailor who always seems to have an extra few degrees in his pocket to use on the long beats we have at the nationals.

Others to look out for:

Mark Hartley - Hartley Boats Ltd
2015 result: N/A
Best nationals result: 1st (2009,2012,2014)
An obvious contender for this years title. Having won the nationals 3 times before, Mark obviously has the capability to be able to take the event. Strong winds seem to be his preferred wind strength, which is no surprise as he is probably the 2nd tallest guy in the class. As the boss at the builders, its fair to say that Mark knows the boat pretty well, which means that the other guys may need to be brush up on their technical know how.

Peter Mackin - Bolton
2015 result: 16th (missed day 1 of racing)
Best nationals result: 8th (2014)
At his first race at a Supernova event, the 2014 nationals, Peter secured a 3rd place on a big wind and big wave day in Aberdovey. After this, he's gone on to get a lot of top places in national races and was on the verge of winning a race at last years event....before he sailed the wrong course (sorry Pete, can't let you forget about that).

Paul Earnshaw - Haversham
2015 result: 11th
Best nationals result: 3rd (2006)
3x travellers champion and past chairman of the class. Paul is not only fast and competitive sailor but also a great figure in the class. All conditions seem to come natural to Paul and generally has consistent results at all events.

Mike Critchley - Bolton
2015 result: 12th
Best nationals result: 10th (2014)
The other part of the Critchley dynamic duo, Mike is, just like his brother, a contender for the nationals this year due to his absolute pace and ability to spot shifts before they happen. Having been a GP helm for many years, where he got his crews to do all the painful hiking (I know from experience), Mike can often be seen, what appears to be, relaxingly hiking out the side of the boat yet he seems to still have the skill to go at a blistering pace.

Duncan Adams - Hartley Boats Ltd
2015 result: N/A
Best nationals result: 5th (2014)
When Duncan turned up with the boat on the back his car at lunch time at the 2015 inlands, I don't think anyone realised from his causal and chilled out vibe that he would quickly get his boat rigged, get out on the water and win the race. You can never count Duncan out of the race as he always finds an extra gear to use to get the boat going quicker and pointing higher than a lot of other competitors.

The 'Merlin guys'
2015 result: N/A
Matt Biggs and Chris Gould are right at the front of the merlin fleet - one of the most competitive fleets out there. They are both new to the boat but rumors are they are practicing heavily. It will be interesting to see where these two excellent sailors place.

With so many people who could win this event, its best to look and include all of them that are obvious, but i'm sure that with so many new faces at this years nationals they'll be an unfamiliar face or two at the font of the fleet. For sure this year is, without doubt, going to be the toughest Supernova nationals to win. Possibly even one of the hardest classes to win in.

As the start gun goes for the first race on the 1st July, you can be sure that there will be tough, no prisoners taken racing throughout the fleet, closely followed by a refreshing beer... or two, back at the wonderful location that is Llanduno.